Materials used in gas turbines are pushed to their limits: Gas at temperatures around 1300°C creates extreme operating conditions, subjecting the parts that carry the hot gas to numerous mechanical and corrosive attacks. Therefore, materials used in gas turbines must be especially tough. The more stresses they can withstand, the more effi-ciently the power plant can work.
Inventor Dr. Werner Stamm is working on new coatings to make the machined parts used in gas turbines tougher and more durable. Because the base materials currently in use will withstand temperatures of “only” about 950°C, the blades are pneumatically cooled from the inside and are often coated with a heat-insulating layer as well. This allows the surface temperature to fall to a level that the base material can handle. Sometimes, power plant turbine blades oxidize so severely from exposure to the hot gas that they can no longer be used past the 25,000-hour service life requested by the customer.